U.S. patent number 7,850,154 [Application Number 11/879,860] was granted by the patent office on 2010-12-14 for assembly for clamping a workpiece.
Invention is credited to Robert Feuge.
United States Patent |
7,850,154 |
Feuge |
December 14, 2010 |
Assembly for clamping a workpiece
Abstract
An assembly for clamping a workpiece, the workpiece comprised of
two pieces. The assembly includes a clamp having an L-shaped
member. The L-shaped member has a leg and foot portion. The clamp
also has an upright extending generally perpendicularly to the leg
and the upright has a threaded portion. The clamp includes a
threaded adjuster having a head, a threaded body, and a base. The
base includes outer walls defining a polygon shape and handle. The
handle has removed ends thereon. The handle has outer walls and
inner walls, the inner walls are dimensioned to removably,
slideably and snugly engage the outer walls of the base. The handle
has more than one set of walls and so can be positioned to apply
different torque to the base. A drill, a drill bit, and a socket
may also be included in the assembly, to engage the handle and
drive the threaded adjuster.
Inventors: |
Feuge; Robert (Fredericksburg,
TX) |
Family
ID: |
40264202 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/879,860 |
Filed: |
July 19, 2007 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20090020935 A1 |
Jan 22, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
269/6; 269/3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25B
5/102 (20130101); B25B 5/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B25B
5/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;269/6,3,249,148,166-171.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wilson; Lee D
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Jackson Walker, LLP
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. An assembly for clamping a workpiece, the assembly comprising: a
clamp having an L-shaped member, the L-shaped member including a
leg and a foot portion, the clamp having an upright extending
generally perpendicular to the leg, the upright including a
threaded portion, the clamp including a threaded adjuster having a
head, a threaded body, and a base, the base including outer walls
defining a polygon and a handle, the handle having spaced apart
ends thereon, the handle having outer walls and inner walls, the
inner walls dimensioned to removably, slideably and snugly engage
the outer walls of the base.
2. The assembly of claim 1, further including a drill.
3. The assembly of claim 2, further including a drill bit for
engaging the drill and a socket, the socket adapted to receive the
drill bit for engaging the drill at a first end thereof and the
base at a second end thereof, when the handle is removed
therefrom.
4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the upright and the leg are
adapted to be slideably engaged.
5. The assembly of claim 4, further including a drill.
6. The assembly of claim 5, further including a drill bit for
engaging the drill and a socket, the socket adapted to receive the
drill bit for engaging the drill at a first end thereof and the
base at a second end thereof, when the handle is removed
therefrom.
7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the upright and the leg are
integral with one another and the upright is located at the removed
end of the leg.
8. The assembly of claim 7, further including a drill.
9. The assembly of claim 8, further including a drill bit for
engaging the drill and a socket, the socket adapted to receive the
drill bit for engaging the drill at a first end thereof and the
base at a second end thereof, when the handle is removed
therefrom.
10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner walls of the handle
define a longitudinal cavity opening at a removed end thereof.
11. The assembly of claim 10, further including a drill.
12. The assembly of claim 11, further including a socket, the
socket adapted to receive the drill bit for engaging the drill at a
first end thereof and the base at a second end thereof, when the
handle is removed therefrom.
13. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the upright and the leg are
adapted to be slideably engaged.
14. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the upright and the leg are
integral to one another and the upright is located at the removed
end of the leg.
15. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner walls of the handle
define a first transverse cavity with an opening located between
the spaced apart ends of the handle.
16. The assembly of claim 15, further including a drill.
17. The assembly of claim 16, further including a drill bit for
engaging the drill and a socket, the socket adapted to receive the
drill bit for engaging the drill at a first end thereof and the
base at a second end thereof.
18. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the upright and the leg are
adapted to be slideably engaged.
19. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the upright and the leg are
integral and the upright is located at the removed end of the
leg.
20. An assembly for clamping a workpiece, the assembly comprising:
a clamp having an L-shaped member, the L-shaped member including a
leg and a foot portion, the clamp having an upright extending
generally perpendicular to the leg, the upright including a
threaded portion, the clamp including a threaded adjuster having a
head, a threaded body, and a base, the base including outer walls
defining a polygon and a handle, the handle having spaced apart
ends thereon, the handle having outer walls and inner walls, the
inner walls dimensioned to removably, slideably and snugly engage
the outer walls of the base; the inner walls including transverse
walls, and a magnet at the end of a cavity defined by the inner
walls, further including a drill, a drill bit for engaging a drill,
and a socket, the socket adapted to receive the drill bit at a
first end thereof and the base at a second end thereof, when the
handle is removed therefrom; wherein the upright end of the leg are
slidably engaged one to the other.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Assembly for clamping a workpiece, more specifically an assembly,
typically comprising a clamp, a drill bit, and a socket, that will
rapidly apply compression to a workpiece such as two pieces of wood
being glued together.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Clamps are used, typically, to apply compression to a workpieces.
For example, it is well known to use F-clamps or C-clamps to apply
compression to a workpiece, the workpiece comprising two or more
pieces of a material, such as wood. In the assembly of wood
products, such as furniture, for example, clamps such as C-clamps
can be used to hold two or more pieces together, which pieces have
been glued, while the glue is setting.
Often, many clamps are required to glue an article together. Prior
art clamps require manual closing which is often time
consuming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Applicant provides an assembly for clamping a workpiece, for
example, two pieces of wood, together. The assembly includes a
clamp. The typical clamp includes an L-shaped member, which
L-shaped member has a leg portion and a foot portion. The clamp
typically has an upright extending generally perpendicular to the
leg, the upright including a threaded portion. The clamp includes a
threaded adjuster, typically an elongated member having a head, a
threaded body, and a base. The body threadably and adjustably
engages the threaded portion of the upright.
Turning now to the threaded adjuster, Applicant's invention
typically includes a threaded adjuster having a body, a base, and a
head. The threaded adjuster typically engages the threaded portion
of the upright so that its longitudinal axis is parallel to the leg
portion of the L-shaped member. The base of Applicant's threaded
adjuster is typically elongated and polygonal with the handle
removably engaged to the polygon which handle slidably engages the
polygon of the base with walls shaped to fit snuggly adjacent the
polygon.
It is seen with respect to FIG. 1 that the upright member may be
slidably and lockingly engaged with leg 18. However, in an
alternate preferred embodiment, leg 18 and upright 22 may be
integral.
Applicant's invention further includes a handle whose inner walls
are dimensioned to receive a polygon along the longitudinal axis of
the handle, and/or one or more inner walls in the handle that are
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle.
Applicant's invention allows for slidable removal of the handle
with the polygonal shaped base such that the handle is aligned
longitudinally with the base or may be removed and placed so such
longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the base while allowing
engagement of the handle with the base and rotation of the threaded
adjuster to the perpendicular alignment of the handle with respect
to the base.
Applicant's invention further includes the dimensioning of the base
to accommodate a socket, such as a six-sided socket, for example, a
half-inch socket. Thus, Applicant's invention provides for the
removal of the handle from the base of the threaded adjuster, which
removal provides access for a drill, bearing a socket, to engage
the base, and thus electrically rotate, for or aft the threaded
adjuster, allowing rapid securing of the workpiece between the
removed end of the foot portion between the foot portion of the
L-shaped member and the head of the threaded adjuster.
BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is side elevational view of Applicant's assembly for
clamping a workpiece, with the threaded adjuster in a closed
position.
FIG. 2 is side elevational view of Applicant's assembly as includes
a cordless drill and socket illustrating the manner in which a
cordless drill and socket engages the base of the threaded
adjuster.
FIG. 3 is a view of Applicant's novel clamping assembly showing an
end view and perspective of the handle.
FIG. 4 illustrates a side elevational view showing Applicant's
handle with a pair of perpendicularly trending inner walls.
FIG. 5 illustrates Applicant's clamping assembly with the base
engaged with inner walls 36A of handle.
FIG. 6 is a cutaway section along the longitudinal axis of the
handle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Structurally, the clamp 12 includes an L-shaped member 16, which
L-shaped member has an elongated longitudinal leg 18 and generally
perpendicular thereto a foot 20 having a removed end 28 thereon. It
may also be seen that Applicant's clamp 12 includes an upright 22
spaced apart but generally parallel to the foot, the upright having
a first end 22A and second end 22B, the second end 22B including a
threaded portion 23. Upright 22 with the threaded portion is spaced
apart but longitudinally aligned with the removed end of foot 20.
Thus, when a threaded adjuster 24 such as that illustrated is
threadably engaged with threaded portion 23 of the upright, means
are provided for applying compression to a workpiece.
It is seen that threaded adjuster 24 has a longitudinal axis and
includes a threaded body 26, a head 28, and a base 30. It is seen
that the head 28 is on the foot side of the threaded portion 23 of
upright 22 and that base 30 is opposite. Moreover, Applicant's base
30 includes outer walls dimensioned in a generally polygonal shape.
Furthermore, Applicant's assembly 10 includes a handle 14, the
handle 14 includes handle body 30. It is seen that Applicant's
handle has outer walls 32. Applicant's handle includes one or more
sets of inner walls, which sets of inner walls define cavities and
which inner walls are designed to slidably and snuggly engage base
30 of threaded adjuster 24.
It is seen with reference to FIGS. 1 and 6, for example, that
Applicant's handle includes inner walls 36A and/or inner walls 36B
and/or inner walls 36C.
Inner walls 36A and 36B define cavities that have longitudinal axis
generally perpendicular to longitudinal axis of the handle and may
engage the base so that the longitudinal axis of the handle is
perpendicular to the base as illustrate, for example, in FIG. 5.
This provides a means to slidably, toollessly engage the handle to
the base so that the handle may be positioned in up to three
different positions.
In a first position where the handle engages the base through the
engagement of inner walls 36A as illustrated in FIG. 5, it is seen
that the handle can be easily grasped and torque can be provided to
the handle to rotate the threaded adjuster. However, it is also
seen that the handle may engage the base at inner walls 36B and
thus provide greater torque (greater moment arm) on the threaded
adjuster and may be used where greater torque is required. Finally,
walls 36C may be utilized to slidably engage the base and thus
align the longitudinal axis of the cavity defined by inner walls
36C with the longitudinal axis of the base. This position would
provide, however, less torque than that provided in the engaged
positions of the handle with the base illustrate for inner walls
36A and 36B.
Thus, Applicant's invention can provide for a combination of one or
more of up to three sets of walls and a handle, which handle may be
made of, for example, steel, wood, plastic, nylon, or any other
suitable material.
In addition, Applicant's assembly 10 may include a drill 38 such as
a cordless drill, drill bit 40, and a socket 42, which socket is
dimensioned to receive the drill bit when the drill bit is seated
in the drill and which includes inner walls than can slidably and
snuggly engage the base, so that electrical power may drive the
threaded adjuster towards the closing or opening position. Use of a
drill, socket, and drill bit including a drill with a torque
adjustment feature thereon, may allow one to rapidly secure a
number of clamps, with the handle removed therefrom, which handle
may then be slidably engaged in one of the three positions to make
final "fine" torque adjustments to the workpiece.
FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the handle. It shows the position of
Applicant's body inner walls 36A, 36B, and 36C, along with the use
of a magnet 49 near the end of the inner walls, which magnet will
help hold the handle to the base when the handle is engaged with
the base along inner walls.
Although the invention has been described with reference to
specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed
in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed
embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions
will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the
reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore,
contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications
that fall within the scope of the invention.
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